New Harbeth Reference speaker !

[tom_hankins]

Originally Posted by Jerome W

Folks, just to clarify, the 40.1 speaker is a full range speaker. It does not compare at all with the SHL5. As good as the SHL5 can be, it sounds like a toy when directly compared to the 40.1.
Actually, even my Wilson WP8's sound like toys when listened side by side with the 40.1 !



Attachment 40186

I had complete 180 from you when moving from my SHL5 and JLAUDIO subs to 40.1s. Never could get the 40.1s to sound as good. Bass was loose and stage and imaging just couldn't compare. If I went back to harbeths I'd get either the newest model shl5plus or 30.1 or 2 and add a pr. of nice subs.

[Jerome W]

Originally Posted by tom_hankins

I had complete 180 from you when moving from my SHL5 and JLAUDIO subs to 40.1s. Never could get the 40.1s to sound as good. Bass was loose and stage and imaging just couldn't compare. If I went back to harbeths I'd get either the newest model shl5plus or 30.1 or 2 and add a pr. of nice subs.

The 40.1 needs "professional" isolation to give a proper bass. I too had bad issues before getting the best bass I never had.

[Jerome W]

Moreover the bass changes a lot with various amplifiers. Which amp did you use ?

[tom_hankins]

Originally Posted by Jerome W

Moreover the bass changes a lot with various amplifiers. Which amp did you use ?

Manley Snapper monoblocks, Spectron musician III se stereo, Bryston monoblocks, and the only one that controlled them (even though least power), BAT REX stereo tube amp. Bat REX preamp or BAT SS VK42se all here at same time or close to same time. I sold them once the YG Carmels hit the room at same time. Guy who bought them sold the 40.1s pretty quick too. Glad others had good luck with them. I bought mine new and consider them top $$$ for performance mistake I've bought in my many years of audio. Love the 30.1s, and super shl5s. But the 40.1s were a real heart breaker for me.

[Jerome W]

Originally Posted by tom_hankins

Manley Snapper monoblocks, Spectron musician III se stereo, Bryston monoblocks, and the only one that controlled them (even though least power), BAT REX stereo tube amp. Bat REX preamp or BAT SS VK42se all here at same time or close to same time. I sold them once the YG Carmels hit the room at same time. Guy who bought them sold the 40.1s pretty quick too. Glad others had good luck with them. I bought mine new and consider them top $$$ for performance mistake I've bought in my many years of audio. Love the 30.1s, and super shl5s. But the 40.1s were a real heart breaker for me.

Wow ! You really had lots of options !
Which stands did you use ?

[tom_hankins]

Cant remember the first I tried. they were thin four leg stands. Did not like them at all. Then bought the four leg sound anchors made for the Harbeth. Better, but $$$ for not enough improvement. I wanted to love those speakers so bad. cost me $$$$ to move on.

[Jerome W]

Originally Posted by tom_hankins

Cant remember the first I tried. they were thin four leg stands. Did not like them at all. Then bought the four leg sound anchors made for the Harbeth. Better, but $$$ for not enough improvement. I wanted to love those speakers so bad. cost me $$$$ to move on.

Too bad. Anyway all tastes are in the nature.
I use Pro Audio Bono feet between stands and floor and between speakers and stands.
Without them, I cannot go above 65 dB and get a clear bass. With them, the bass is super deep and tight and clean even at 105 dB.

[Chenkong]

Harbeth M40.2...the biggest leap forward in sonic supremacy...takes the Harbeth sound to a new level...far beyond conventional loudspeaker listening.

Really?

"...but what is a “better” loudspeaker? The standard model, employing forward-firing dynamic drivers with a passive crossover in a closed box, has been refined to the point where further improvements are most unlikely. There are small ones and big ones, simple ones and elaborate ones, $600 ones and $45,000 ones, but if they are correctly designed (admittedly not always the case), the sound will always be of the same general quality—wide-range, smooth, effortless, but not quite real, with a slightly closed-down, boxy characteristic that says: loudspeaker, not live. There’s a ceiling in performance with this type of loudspeaker, maybe at three or four thousand dollars, above which you get very little, if anything, regardless of the hyperbolic claims and insane prices of some ultrahigh-end models. I have revived the old-time “monkey coffin” label, used by 1970s hi-fi salesmen, for this category of box speakers. There are dinky little monkey coffins and huge expensive monkey coffins, but they all sound like monkey coffins, more or less..."

Don't waste your money on the M40.2!

[chessman]

Chenkong, welcome aboard!

[Chenkong]

Originally Posted by chessman

Chenkong, welcome aboard!

Hi! Thank you